


Don't give me that bye-bye baby (when the night moves into black from the blue)

by Sashaya



Category: The Technomancer (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Goodbyes, M/M, Older Man/Younger Man, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-03
Updated: 2020-11-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:21:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27372601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sashaya/pseuds/Sashaya
Summary: It's not goodbye, no matter what the world around them says.-Prompt #22: “This isn’t goodbye.”
Relationships: Sean Mancer/Zachariah Mancer
Kudos: 5





	Don't give me that bye-bye baby (when the night moves into black from the blue)

**Author's Note:**

> _Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters._
> 
> Warning: Unbeta'ed, quick work.
> 
> Pop in [@SharkTofu](https://sharktofu.tumblr.com/), my prompts are open.

It feels - _is_ \- extremely inappropriate to meet with his Protege under the cover of the night. In his room, with no-one to witness them. No-one to swear nothing improper took place between them...

He watches the tears cling to Zach’s dark lashes, and he knows he chose well. He gently grabs his chin and barely resists the need to kiss his thin lips.

“Zachariah,” he whispers his name fondly. “This isn’t goodbye.”

“We both know it is!” Zach whisper-shouts. His fingers coil around the lapels of Sean’s jacket like maybe this will be enough for him to stay. “They’re sending you away to... to punish you!”

“Zachariah…”

“You can’t even promise I’ll see you again!” Zach’s crying, angry and inconsolable like he’s already in mourning. His cheeks are deep red like someone slapped him, and Sean feels like he might as well have.

“Can you?” Sean asks and cringes inwardly when he sounds cold, harsh.

“What?”

“You’re going on a mission tomorrow. Can you promise me you’ll be back?” his hands wrap around Zach’s wrists and tugs him closer. There’s not much height difference between them, but it’s enough to make Zachariah look him in the eyes.

“It’s…”

“Not the same?” Sean finishes his thought. “It’s obvious that Viktor wants something from you. Who knows - maybe he wants you gone.” he lets Zach go and runs a hand through his silver hair. “Maybe that’s why…”

“Why you’re being sent away?” it’s always been easy for Sean to read Zach’s emotions, but this fear was clearly visible for all to see. The boy has always been too clever, quick to connect the dots. “Is it my fault?”

“No,” Sean gathers him in his arms and presses a kiss to his forehead. “If anything happens - to you or me - only Viktor is to blame. Remember that, love.”

Zachariah doesn’t fight him. Sean doubts that he agrees, but maybe he doesn’t want to spend their last hours together trying to one-up one another in a sick game of blame and apologies.

His Protege wounds his long arms around Sean’s waits and sighs deeply, resigned.

“It’s not a goodbye, my dear boy,” Sean repeats and leans back enough to see Zachariah’s eyes. “I will do my damnedest to come back to you, my love.”

“Not a goodbye,” Zach echoes his words softly and presses their lips together.

The kiss is long and full of longing, a sweetness tinged with desperation and fear.

“Don’t leave me alone,” the boy begs in a broken whisper when they pull away.

“You know I’d never do that willingly.”

“That’s exactly what I’m afraid of…” he sighs and kisses Sean again, short and deep. “I love you.”

“I love you too, my sweet boy.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm extremely aware that the title is probably as long as the story. It comes from Dermot Kennedy's song "A Closeness".


End file.
